


Half and Half

by Nerdicorn_the_shipper



Category: Sanders Sides (Web Series)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Alternate Universe - High School, Everyone Is Gay, Harry Potter References, M/M, Mutual Pining, Pining, Slow Burn, brief mention of remus, deceit and remus might be background characters at some point, i don't know anything about psychology, idk i plotted this fic a while ago, just go with it, logan is a wizard, patton has wings, picani is their psychology teacher, rating might change to t later, roman is half dragon, this is gonna be long, virgil is half mermaid
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-09-19
Updated: 2020-07-08
Packaged: 2020-10-21 17:29:39
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 2,933
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20697320
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nerdicorn_the_shipper/pseuds/Nerdicorn_the_shipper
Summary: As he sat waiting for the city bus, Virgil could have been any normal High-School Sophomore going to a normal school on a normal Friday. But Virgil was anything but normal. His mother was a mermaid, and his father a human. Even though he was going to one of the most magic-dense schools in Florida, he still felt the need to hide himself.





	1. Introduction (virgil is gay)

**Author's Note:**

> My first sanders sides fic and my first multi-chaptered fic! I hope you enjoy!

Virgil Hope woke up to the aggressive beeping of his alarm. God, he really needed to find a better alarm noise. A large yawn escaped his mouth. He had barely gotten any sleep the night before, but that was pretty common for him. He threw on a sweatshirt and jeans and grabbed an eyeliner pencil, deciding to apply it when he got to school. He hesitated in front of the coffee maker before deciding to grab a cup of coffee. He typically avoided caffeine, but he didn’t think he could survive the day without a little boost. 

As he sat waiting for the city bus, he could have been any normal High-School Sophomore going to a normal school on a normal Friday. But Virgil was anything but normal. His mother was a mermaid, and his father a human. Most of the time, Virgil could pass for human, as long as he kept the scales on his back covered, but the second he touched water, his legs would transform into a tail. Even though he was going to one of the most magic-dense schools in Florida, he still felt the need to hide himself.

On the bus, he met up with his friend Logan Sanders - a wizard. Logan was a tall, skinny kid who wore the nerdiest pair of glasses and had a love of ties and collared shirts. Today, he wore a black polo, a galaxy bowtie, and a dark blue watch. Virgil thought he looked more like a teacher than a student, but most high schoolers fashion ranges were limited to shorts and a t-shirt. Logan was sitting at the very back of the bus, reading a book with very fancy lettering on the cover and illustrations which seemed to be representing different elements. Virgil couldn't read the title from the angle he was at.

"Hey Logan," Virgil said, sitting next to him.

"Greetings Virgil" Logan replied, not looking up from his book.

"What are you reading?"

This time Logan did look up. "Oh, it's a fascinating book about magical theory and elemental magic Did you know that even beings whose race doesn’t have a particular elemental leaning can have biasses …”

Logan continued talking, but Virgil had become distracted by the newest passenger. Roman Prince, one of the most popular boys in school, stepped into the bus and took a seat near the front. Roman was half-dragon, and one of the most popular people at their school to be public about his magical abilities. When he announced it, no one was too surprised. The popular boy had the impulsive, passionate personality associated with dragons. It did make life a little harder for his brother, but from what Virgil’s heard, he’s doing just fine. 

Roman also wore red all the time. That day he was wearing a white t-shirt that was just a little tight. Damn, Virgil thought, He’s really fit. His brightly dyed rainbow hair sat perfectly on his head in a ‘messy but stylish’ type of look. Virgil combed his fingers through his own, dark purple hair. Roman was listening to some kind of music, and though Virgil couldn't hear what he was listening to, he enjoyed watching the other boy subtly dance along.

“...you're not listening are you?" Logan sighed and then snapped in front of his friend's eyes "Virgil."

Virgil looked over. "I zoned out."

"I noticed. What was so distracting?"

Virgil pointed at their classmate in front of them. "Since when does Roman Prince take the same bus as us to school?"

"He does typically take this bus route, but he usually catches the bus 15 minutes earlier. Also, his extracurriculars cause him to need to be driven or ride a different bus quite often.”

"And you know this how?"

"I have my sources."

"Okay." Virgil rolled his eyes. He went back to staring at Roman.

After a moment, Logan asked, "Are you admiring your crush?"

"I don't... I don't have a crush on... on Roman," Virgil lied, rubbing the back of his neck.

"Falsehood," Logan said.

"Can we just... like... not... can we not talk about it." Virgil looked down, avoiding eye contact.

Logan stared at the boy next to him for a second, unsure as to why he would deny that he had a crush when his feelings were so clearly obvious. “It is simply a crush, it is nothing to be ashamed of. As friends, we should be able to discuss these topics.”

“Oh, we should talk about crushes?” Virgil said, smirking, “Are you excited to have _ Patton _in your psychology class?”

“I suppose so,” Logan then went back to reading his book to avoid further questioning. Virgil just shrugged in response and desisted to return to admiring Roman.


	2. The Project

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> the boys get put in pairs for a psychology assignment

"Here are the pairs for the project," Dr. Picani, the psychology teacher, said as he stood in front of his class. Everything about his classroom was designed to be as inviting as possible. His room was decorated with posters and figurines from various cartoons. One corner was filled with a couch and beanbags. Even Picani himself gave off a vibe of friendliness. He was one of the only teachers Virgil actually liked. 

"First we have Logan Sanders,"

Virgil silently prayed that he would be chosen. He hated group projects. His social anxiety prevented him from talking to his partners and contributing to the assignment. But if it was someone he knew, he could usually contribute just fine. He liked working with Logan because, not only were the two very close, Virgil knew his friend cared just as much about the project as he did. 

"And Patton Hart."

This wasn't the worst thing that could happen, Virgil assured himself, he had done projects without Logan in the past. He got pretty good grades anyway, only a few B’s (although, in his opinion, it was a few B’s too many). He would be fine. And besides, he was happy Logan had time to hang out with Patton. But as Dr. Picani went down the list, he started to get more and more anxious.

"Virgil Hope and Roman Prince."

This was the worst thing that could happen. Not only was Roman not someone Virgil was familiar with, and probably not someone who cared deeply about the material, Virgil also had a huge crush on him. God, the social anxiety was going to be a nightmare, there was no way he could pull through this one. Virgil spotted Roman walking over.

"Can I sit here?" He asked.

Virgil nodded. He looked at Roman. His hair seemed so soft, despite the dye and whatever bleach he must have used. Virgil wanted to reach up and touch it. He ran his fingers through his own hair unconsciously, wondering what it would feel like to run them through Roman’s. Then he noticed what he was doing, quickly snapping his hand down to his side and mentally scolding himself. He wasn't going to think that way. Almost every crush he had ended with disaster. He was just going to try his best to act normal and let this one just pass by.

"So we're partners." Roman said.

Virgil nodded again. There was an awkward pause as the two of them tried to figure out what to say next.

"So... can I get your phone number." Roman finally said, giving his partner a tiny smile.

"...What?" Although Virgil knew that it was an entirely normal gesture, his heart still skipped a beat.

"So we can talk about the project."

"Oh... yeah." Virgil could feel himself blush as Roman handed him the phone and he entered his phone number. 


	3. The Coffee Shop

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i finally got around to writing this! sorry for the delay

Roman was a fool. 

He hadn’t realized before hitting send what else "do you want to grab a coffee" could have meant. He quickly typed out another message clarifying that he just wanted to meet up to talk about the project. That was the whole reason he even had Virgil’s number in the first place. But the idea of a date with the other boy, who had previously been so mysterious to him, kept creeping back into his mind. Virgil responded, confirming that they should, in fact, meet up because “Isn’t that the whole point of a group project pretty boy.” (Roman blushed a little at that nickname.) They decided to meet at a nearby coffee shop in a few hours.

Roman messed with his hair for 20 minutes. When he was done his hair looked exactly the same. He threw on his Gryffindor Quidditch t-shirt. He contemplated putting on some makeup but decided against it.

When he got to the coffee shop, he saw Virgil sitting in a booth near the back corner. Roman almost didn't see him. the hoodie-wearing teen had a knack for blending in, despite his dark purple hair.

"Hey, Incredible Sulk," Roman said sliding into the booth, "are you ready to start working on the project?"

"I guess," Virgil said, looking down, "I'm just a little nervous, this isn't my best subject."

"Well never fear, Roman is here." Roman used the most exaggerated voice. It definitely made Virgil ease up.

"Let's get started."

They talked about the project for a little bit, but eventually, the conversation drifted to different topics. It was surprisingly easy for Roman to talk to Virgil, despite having only brief interactions until now. They talked about teachers and classes, about friends and acquaintances. They also talked about memes. A lot. Virgil commented on Roman’s hair, and they talked about hair dye and the difficulties of maintaining color. Roman commented on Virgil’s jacket.

"I actually made this jacket myself," Virgil said, “or, actually is more like I modified it. It was just a plain black hoodie at first."

“Dude, that’s so cool! I wish I had that kind of skill.”

“I mean, It’s not  _ that  _ hard.” Was Roman imagining it, or was Virgil blushing a bit. He must just be flattered. “Besides, I like your shirt too, even if you are a dumb Gryffindor.”

“Gryffindors are not dumb! I know everyone thinks we’re just a bunch of idiot jocks, but if you die, who do you think is going to avenge your death.”

Virgil put his hand in front of his mouth, giggling a bit. Roman thought it was kind of cute. “Maybe the rest of us are just not enough of a dumbass to get killed.”

“I mean, Dumbledore was a pretty wise dude, he still died in Half-Blood Prince.”

“Eh, he did some kinda questionable things. Also, he was still a Gryffindor.”

“Nymphadora Tonks then, she was a Hufflepuff. Or Cedric.”

Virgil laughed again. "Ok fine. It sounds like you, Roman Prince, are a nerd."

"Hey!" Roman said in mock offense. 

"You need to be more chill. I'm kinda a nerd too."

"Was that a musical reference."

"...Maybe."

The two boys laughed.

"Ok, so we're both nerds," Virgil said, "but neither of us are as nerdy as my friend Logan."

"Logan Sanders, right?" Roman asked.

Virgil nodded.

"You know, Patton kinda has a crush on him." Roman realized what he was saying a few seconds too late. "Don't tell anyone."

"I won't, but I'm pretty sure the whole school knows already."

"Oh."

The two shared a moment of eye contact. Virgil had the most beautiful eyes, in Roman's opinion. They were a navy blue so dark they were almost black. They had silver flecks and a ring of indigo around the edge. They reminded Roman of the sea at night.

Roman's eyes reminded Virgil of a Phoenix. They were an orangish-brown color with golden flecks. There was a ring of very dark brown in the center.

"Can I get you anything to drink?"

The moment was interrupted by a waiter coming to take their order.


	4. A Coffee Disaster

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Roman is a little bit clumsy

Virgil saw it happen in slow motion. He and Roman had got their coffees and had gone back to talking about the project. Virgil liked watching Roman Not listening to him talk, although he enjoyed that too, but watching. He hoped that didn’t make him sound creepy. He liked the way the dude's eyes lit up when he talked. The way he moved his hands excitedly. Maybe Virgil hadn't given him enough credit. He did seem to care about the project.

Roman was using more and more exaggerated gestures, and despite Virgil’s fascination with his coffee buddy's every move, he was starting to get a bit anxious that Roman would knock something over. Then BAM! It happened. Roman spilled coffee all over Virgil. Uh-oh.

"I'm so sorry," Roman said, desperately grabbing napkins to try and clean up the spill.

"It's no big deal," Virgil said, clearly panicking, "I just... I gotta..." His legs were starting to feel numb. He could tell that the transformation was going to kick in any minute. He got up and bolted to the bathroom, leaving Roman on his own.

Virgil had just closed the door when the transformation kicked in. He flopped on the ground. Fuck this stupid tail. Virgil wasn't complaining about being a half-merman. He loved being able to swim with dolphins and dive into the depths of the ocean. He just hated it when someone would spill water on him and he would have to run off because he couldn't risk transforming in public. Now the transformation had ruined his... outing with Roman. It wasn't a date. Right? Roman didn't see Virgil that way. Right? It didn't matter now anyways. Virgil had run off. He reached for the paper towels and started wiping off his jacket.

Virgil could tell Roman that he was magical. Roman certainly wouldn’t hold it against him.  _ Hell, the guy was magical himself _ . But it was Virgil’s secret. He didn’t want word getting around, even accidentally. It was something only his family, Logan, and a few other family friends knew, and he wasn’t really ready for that kind of intimacy with Roman.

Roman sat waiting. He hoped Virgil hadn't run out on him. Virgil had gone towards the bathroom, and not the exits. But he was taking longer than expected. He was probably mad at Roman. He sighed. Why did he have to be so clumsy? And even if he hadn’t messed everything up, the amount of time Virgil was taking was kind of worrying. Just as he was about to text him, Virgil finally came back to the table.

"I'm back," Virgil said, staring at the ground awkwardly, "I just..." He trailed off. He couldn't explain why he left. Not without revealing his secret. Virgil really wasn’t ready to tell everyone. It was already stressful enough that he was… not  _ popular _ , but some people knew his name. Certainly more than he intended.

"It's fine, but I kinda have to go," Roman said, “I’m sorry, I have to be at Patton’s house in like, half an hour. His dads hold this annual party thing. It’s kind of a big deal to them.”

"Oh, ok." Virgil had ruined everything and now Roman had to leave. Great.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry it took me so long to write this. School is a bitch. But I guess now that social Isolation is happening, I actually have the time.  
as always you can find me on tumblr as nerdicorntheshipper


	5. Logan is the Only Sane One Here

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Virgil vents to his best friend

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this one is kinda short, but I do expect to start posting a lot more due to school being over (but don't hold me to that)

"Logan," Virgil wined, "I fucked everything up."

He was hanging upside down from his friend Logan's bed. Logan was sitting cross-legged next to Virgil on the bed, reading his book on magical theory. This was a very common occurrence. The two of them shared everything with each other. They had been best friends for years.

"Falsehood," Logan said, not looking up from his book. "You are magnifying again."

"But I ran away," Virgil said, "Roman probably hates me now."

"You are jumping to conclusions," Logan said, "the rest of the outing proceeded as a proper courtship should."

At that, Virgil sat up, grabbed a pillow, and threw it at his friend. Logan looked confused. "What was that for?"

"It wasn't a date!" Virgil said.

Logan gave his friend an exasperated look. "Nevertheless you didn't 'screw everything up.' You made progress on the project, didn't you."

"Yeah, I guess." Virgil was unconvinced. He went back to laying upside down and scrolling mindlessly through tumblr. A few minutes later he sighed, turning his phone off and sitting upright again. “I should probably text him shouldn’t I?”

“I believe that would be appropriate.” 

“But what should I even say?”

“I do not know, as I am not you. However, expressing interest in meeting again would probably suffice.” 

“You’re really going to make me do this aren’t you.”

“I am not making you do anything. However--”

“Fine, fine. I’ll text him.”


	6. Roman is Dramatic tm

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I said I'd update sooner and than I didn't lol. I promise I'm still writing this, but I have adhd and constantly forget it exists

"He ran off, he hates me," Roman said, draped dramatically over his bed.

"Aw, I'm sure that's not true," Patton said. He was drawing a diagram for the psychology project.

"I spilled coffee all over him and then he ran away."

"He probably just got overwhelmed." Patton looked up from his drawing, and over at his friend.

"Because of me," Roman said into a pillow.

“Aww, come on Roman,” Patton said, “sit up, you look like you need a hug.”

Roman hesitantly obeyed and his friend wrapped his arms around him. Roman had to admit it did help him not feel like shit. “Thanks, Pat.”

“There’s nothing like a good Patton Heart Hug to help cheer you up.”

Roman just smiled. “You’re a good friend.”

His phone dinged.

Roman scrambled to check it. “Holy shit, he texted me.”

_ sorry for being weird but do you want to get coffee again sometime _

He showed his friend the text. Patton squealed, almost being more dramatic than Roman (which is a feat).

“What do I say, Pat?”

“You got to say yes obviously.”

“But like, what do I say?”

“Be chill about it, I don’t know!”

“I am in no way chill right now.”

“Just send the text Roman.”

**Yeah sure**


End file.
